Articles tagged with Bionics
Researchers have demonstrated the potential of artificial intelligence to make future visual prostheses, like a bionic eye, more precise and predictable. By training a deep neural network to predict patterns of brain activity produced by different electrical stimulation settings, the AI-designed patterns reproduced targeted brain activ...
Researchers developed a breakthrough bionic wound dressing that combines protective function, wearing comfort, and efficient antibacterial activity. The dressing achieves 97.1% antibacterial efficacy against Staphylococcus aureus and promotes near-complete wound closure within 11 days.
Researchers create living biohybrid miniature robots that solve traditional engineering trade-offs between structural rigidity and environmental adaptability. These biological engines utilize embodied intelligence to navigate complex terrains and achieve performance metrics rivaling state-of-the-art synthetics.
Utah engineers have created a wearable, portable hip exoskeleton that reduces the energy needed to walk by nearly 20% in individuals with hemiparesis after a stroke. The device helps compensate for reduced ankle propulsion and provides real-time motor assistance, improving mobility and quality of life.
A new theory of proprioception challenges traditional understanding by incorporating frontier bionic evidence. The proposed framework reconceptualizes proprioception as a dynamic augmentable interface, enabling functional movement and potentially improving rehabilitation outcomes in sports injuries and neurological diseases. Researcher...
A team of researchers developed a multi-material, multi-module microrobot that can grab, carry and release microscopic objects. The microrobot features two parts: one reacts to pH changes to grip an object, while the other responds to magnetic fields for movement.
A swarm of miniature magnetic soft robots, inspired by fish schools, can coordinate their movements to deliver targeted drug therapy to diseased tissue. The robots can navigate through narrow passages and adapt their shape to conform to the lesion's boundaries for optimal drug delivery coverage.
Researchers have developed a novel coating with controllable crack structure that enables efficient evaporation, pollutant degradation, and mechanical stability. The coating achieves high evaporation rates and effective purification of seawater, with a removal rate of over 99% for pollutants.
Researchers at Seoul National University of Science and Technology developed a microelectrode with three-dimensional carbon nanotubes that efficiently conduct electricity while being soft like tissue. The arrays demonstrated stable insertion in brain tissues, precise recording of visual responses, and reduced inflammatory responses.
Researchers have created a wearable system that combines drug delivery, electrical stimulation, and continuous monitoring to treat diabetic foot ulcers. The microneedle platform anchors securely into the skin and adjusts therapy in real-time to prevent severe tissue damage.
Northern Arizona University researchers have developed an open-source robotic exoskeleton framework, OpenExo, which provides comprehensive instructions for building single- or multi-joint exoskeletons. The system helps overcome challenges in developing biomechanically beneficial and technologically advanced exoskeletons.
Antonio Bicchi's IIT-led project VSoftPro aims to create a transhumeral prosthesis with user-controlled stiffness and passive adaptability. The goal is to replicate the natural appearance and functionality of a human arm, enhancing safe and natural interactions.
Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology have developed a unique method for encoding natural touch sensations via specific microstimulation patterns in implantable electrodes. This allows individuals with spinal cord injuries to feel tactile edges, shapes, curvatures and movements, enabling them to control a bionic arm with the...
Researchers developed an energy-autonomous facade system that adapts to weather using bioinspired design and additive manufacturing. The 'Solar Gate' system harnesses hygromorphism, a property of cellulose, to open and close autonomously without electrical energy.
Researchers developed a shape-morphing cortex-adhesive sensor to monitor brain activity during tFUS stimulation, enabling real-time adjustments and suppressing seizures. The innovative device overcomes challenges in existing cortex-interfacing devices, providing stable and accurate monitoring.
A new surgical procedure reconnects muscles in the residual limb, allowing patients to receive proprioceptive feedback about their prosthetic limb's position. Seven patients who underwent this surgery were able to walk faster, avoid obstacles, and climb stairs more naturally than those with traditional amputations.
Researchers used virtual reality to test whether humans can feel embodiment toward prosthetic
Researchers at the University of Washington have solved a long-standing chemical mystery in organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs), which allow current to flow in devices like implantable biosensors. The study reveals that OECTs turn on via a two-step process, causing a lag, and off through a simpler one-step process.
Researchers have created a method to control pneumatic artificial muscles with embedded bifurcation structures, which can generate diverse dynamics and patterns. This breakthrough enables robots to exhibit more adaptable and flexible movements, streamlining hardware and software development.
Scientists at Caltech have developed a new type of robotic jellyfish that can swim faster and carry payloads, making them ideal for collecting oceanic climate data. The biohybrid creatures use electronics to enhance their swimming abilities and can reach speeds of up to 4.5 times those of natural jellyfish.
Researchers from the University of Technology Sydney have developed a portable, non-invasive system that can decode silent thoughts and turn them into text. The technology has been shown to achieve state-of-the-art performance in EEG translation, with an accuracy score of around 40% on BLEU-1.
Researchers developed 'acoustic touch' smart glasses that translate visual information into distinct sound icons, enhancing the ability of blind or low-vision individuals to navigate their surroundings. The technology significantly improved object recognition and reaching abilities, empowering independence and quality of life.
Researchers have developed a proof-of-concept technique to attach nanomaterials to living tissue and cells using nanoimprint lithography. The method enables biocompatible integration of smart devices with living tissue, opening up opportunities for biohybrid materials, bionic devices and biosensors.
Researchers create biotissue-like rhythmic agglomerates using water and liquid metals, exhibiting aqueous properties and biorhythms. The unique capacity of liquid matter to generate biorhythms is revealed, opening opportunities for advanced soft robotic systems.
Researchers have successfully integrated sensors, skeletal implants, and prosthetic limbs to enable unprecedented control over every finger of a bionic hand. The innovation uses reconfigured residual limbs and redistributed nerves to provide improved prosthetic control and sensory feedback.
Researchers at Queen Mary University of London have created a new type of electric variable-stiffness artificial muscle with self-sensing capabilities, revolutionizing soft robotics and medical applications. The innovative technology enables rapid reactions and force sensing, making it ideal for integration into intricate robotic systems.
Researchers at EPFL have developed a technology that allows amputees to feel temperature variations in their phantom limbs, enabling them to discern what they're touching. This breakthrough has led to the development of bionic prosthetics that can provide realistic touch and sensations.
Limbitless Solutions has been selected as one of eight winners for the 2023 Unity for Humanity Grant. The organization will use $85,000 to develop its video game Quantum's Pursuit, which aims to empower children and adults with limb differences to learn how to use their bionic arms in a fun and engaging way.
Researchers are developing wearable robotic arms that can assist with daily living tasks, using non-invasive techniques. This technology has the potential to improve quality of life for individuals with sensory and motor deficits, such as spinal cord injuries or stroke survivors.
The study combines osseointegration, TMR, and pattern-recognition control to operate a fully powered bionic leg prosthesis, aiming to restore intuitive control and comfort for those with lower-limb amputations. The device has the potential to provide unprecedented control and comfort for users.
Researchers developed a bionic finger that can create 3D maps of internal shapes and textures by touching an object's exterior surface. The device uses carbon fibers to detect stiffness or softness and creates detailed maps of complex objects.
Researchers from Chinese Academy of Sciences reveal the secret of ultra-slow motion in pine cones, attributing it to unique microtube structures that drive scale movement with humidity changes. They develop mimicking actuators enabling unperceivable motion, two orders of magnitude slower than other reported actuators.
MIT researchers have developed a magnet-based system to track muscle length during movement, which could improve the accuracy of prosthetic limb control. The system uses small magnets implanted in muscle and measures distances between them using a credit-card-sized sensor.
The researchers developed an extreme wettability surface that enables controlled evaporation, directional bouncing, and transport of droplets on it. The surface can be used to study biochemistry, microfluidic systems, cell culture, and energy harvesting and utilization.
A new clinical trial found that the bionic pancreas device was more effective at maintaining blood glucose levels within normal range than standard-of-care management among people with type 1 diabetes. The device requires minimal user input and provides more automation, resulting in improved glycemic control.
A bionic pancreas, which automatically delivers insulin based on blood glucose levels, was more effective than standard care at maintaining normal blood sugar levels. The study, funded by NIDDK and conducted at Nemours Children's Health, Jacksonville, found the device to require less user input and provide more automation.
Researchers have successfully inserted nanotubes into bacteria, allowing for the creation of
Researchers create accurate hydrodynamic model of the RobDact underwater robot to improve its control in turbulent waters. The team combined computational fluid dynamics and a force measurement experiment to study the RobDact, enabling better understanding of its motion state and control.
Researchers created a cyborg beetle to study insect flight, using a tiny control backpack and electrodes to stimulate muscles. The study found that the subalar muscle regulates wing rotation angle to adjust body angles and accelerations in free flight, enabling complex maneuvers.
A new study by researchers from Tsinghua University redefines the interface between liquids and solid surfaces based on intermolecular forces. The findings reveal intrinsic wetting thresholds that deviate from Young's equation, providing a new perspective on wettability and its relationship with molecular interactions.
Scientists from China have developed a bionic approach to improve wind turbine performance by combining features of a seagull's wing with an engineered flow control accessory. The combined flow control improves lift and delays stalling at high angles of attack, increasing the efficiency of wind energy turbines.
The Antarctic scallop's microscopic ridges create a regular structure that prevents water from freezing on its surface, allowing it to resist icing. This unique feature provides an advantage for the species, with researchers suggesting potential technological applications for non-icing surfaces in polar shipping.
Biohybrid micro- and nanorobots promise to deliver drugs to body tissues with high precision, enabling tasks such as cancer treatment, cell microsurgery, and tissue engineering. Researchers envision incorporating novel biological components into robots to overcome immune responses and increase efficiency in manufacturing.
Researchers developed a fully autonomous biohybrid fish from human stem-cell derived cardiac muscle cells that recreates the muscle contractions of a pumping heart. The device has two layers of muscle cells that work together to propel the fish for over 100 days.
Researchers developed a hybrid machine-learning approach combining CNN and LSTM to recognize complex hand gestures in prosthetic hands. The technique achieved far superior performance than traditional machine learning efforts, with an accuracy of over 80%, but struggled with certain pinching gestures.
The HyVIS project is a four-year European initiative that will develop bionic synapses for retinal prostheses, exploiting residual neuronal functionality to restore sensitivity to light. The approach involves plasmonic nanocannals and intelligent polymers to release neurotransmitters in response to light stimuli.
Researchers developed an experimental device to improve blood sugar control in HI patients. The bihormonal bionic pancreas (BHBP) helps maintain stable glucose levels without human error in calculating doses.
Researchers created a bionic arm that combines intuitive motor control with touch and hand movement sensation, enabling wearers to think and behave like a person without an amputation. The system's bi-directional feedback and control allowed study participants to perform tasks with similar accuracy as non-disabled people.
Magnetomicrometry offers a new approach to controlling prosthetic limbs by measuring muscle length and speed, providing more precise control than existing methods. The technology involves inserting small magnetic beads into muscle tissue, which can be precisely measured within milliseconds.
Scientists at MedUni Vienna have successfully developed a bionic foot for a bearded vulture named Mia using osseointegration, a technique that directly attaches the prosthetic to the bone. The procedure has enabled Mia to regain her ability to land and walk with both feet, making her the first 'bionic bird'.
Researchers have proposed a new standard to measure moisture leaks into bionic devices, aiming to increase confidence in their operation. The improved moisture-testing regime could also be applied to the renewable energy industry.
A new study on people with amputations using bionic hands for over a year found that the brain never shifted its perception of touch sensations to match the prosthetic thumb. The participants' brains persisted in perceiving the sensation in other locations, such as their middle finger or palm.
A new study published in PLOS ONE describes the use of functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to objectively detect tinnitus. The technology revealed differences in brain connectivity between people with and without tinnitus, and accurately differentiated patients with mild from moderate/severe cases using machine learning.
Researchers have developed a robotic gripping mechanism inspired by the sea anemone's ability to catch prey. The device can grasp various objects of different sizes, shapes, and materials using its thermoplastic rubber skin.
Researchers developed a novel bionic pacemaker that reads breathing signals to speed up and slow down the heart. This approach increases heart efficiency by 20% within two weeks, offering new hope for heart failure treatment.
The Utah Bionic Leg, developed by the University of Utah, enables amputees to walk with more power and better balance. The prosthetic limb features sensors, motors, a computer processor, and artificial intelligence that work together to provide assistance during walking and other activities.
Scientists have successfully merged three amputees with their bionic legs, allowing them to walk instinctively without mental effort. The new technology uses sensory feedback to deliver information wirelessly to the nervous system, reducing mental burden and improving performance.
Researchers developed a bionic stretchable nanogenerator inspired by electric eels, generating up to 170V under dry conditions. The technology has potential for wearable devices, human motion monitoring and underwater rescue applications.
A team of scientists from the University of Bonn has created a camera that uses electrical pulses to capture images in murky or dark water, mimicking the sensing abilities of the African elephantnose fish. The 'electric camera' can identify objects, determine distances and shapes, and even distinguish between living and dead prey.
Researchers have developed a prosthetic that restores the sense of where your hand is, allowing amputees to feel tactile sensations and proprioception in real time. The new device uses intraneural stimulation to deliver simultaneous position and tactile feedback, resulting in improved function and prosthesis embodiment.